Giving HOPE: A report from the Exponential Conference
Friday, May 14, 2010 at 09:42AM 
Written By Kristin Ruther, Aspen Group Customer Relations Coordinator
The theme of Exponential 2010 was "Transformation starts in the Heart of One". You can download the podcasts for Exponential at http://www.exponentialconference.org/subscriptions/ and I would highly recommend it, but if I could take you behind the scenes you will see that there is a movement of giving hope stirring in hearts. Aspen likes to send us to conferences to learn and interact with leaders. We like to stay on the “bleeding-edge” of ministry and bring that knowledge to you and, as we design spaces, impart all we learn from those smarter than us to reach the unchurched, dechurched and rechurched in your community, all to the glory of God.
After Day One of the conference I was working out on the treadmill at the Orlando hotel and in walks an older man. I ask if I can continue playing my Pandora music station. He climbs on the treadmill next to me and we are off talking about all things. He travels 151 days out of the year and will be speaking tomorrow at Exponential…hmm, this is really interesting. I don’t know who he is, but we continue to talk and share about what we see in the younger generation. We both agree that these Millennials are a breath of fresh air. They are doers, living out their faith and not content to just talk about faith. The papers report disparaging antidotes about this generation, but I see what my new friend sees and am filled with hope. Yes, hope. We finish our work out, say goodbye, and I race upstairs to look him up online. It’s Reggie McNeal.
The next morning, Reggie is up front giving a very humorous and challenging talk. He asks us, the church, to practice looking in the mirror and saying, “How can we help?” There are two practical ways you can give hope to your community. Hope shows at-risk public elementary school children God’s love by spending an hour a week in a one-on-one relationship mentoring them. Look up Kids Hope USA. It began in 1993 and has helped 530 churches in 29 states engage members of their church in the lives of over 8,000 at-risk children. Reggie doesn’t mince words; he says “Get off the children’s cruise ship at our churches.” Another terrific ministry that you could learn from is Titus County Cares. This ministerial association is determined to wipe out hunger in their county. Kids are hungry and have a hard time learning. Do you think a child that receives a free lunch from school goes home to a delicious meal at night and over the weekend? The backpack program from TCC brings in 3 tons of food to provide for the weekend meals. The majority of these backpacks are packed by kids; teaching the kids that there is someone always worse off than you, how to live out their faith and that there are truths and Jesus wasn’t just making up scripture.
If you go to Exponential 2011, I hope to see you there. But I was told not to come back if I haven’t adopted a school. Prepare to be challenged, prepare to give others hope and know that Jesus is the hope of the world. Now please excuse me for I need to make a call to my pastor about our local school.
Reader Comments (1)
I was at Exponential, too. Reggie was great and I was struck by the same thing - prepare to be challenged. He was inspiring - and funny. You captured his message in just a few paragraphs and this sentence is powerful - The majority of these backpacks are packed by kids; teaching the kids that there is someone always worse off than you, how to live out their faith and that there are truths and Jesus wasn’t just making up scripture. It would have been great to have been able to spend time with him one on one like you did - but just not on a treadmill. Nice job!